Screw the Rules
by Copper's Mama
Summary: a mike/connie fic, taken after the episode: "For the Defense". please R&R!


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_A Mike/Connie fic._

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_Disclaimer: Definitely don't own Law and Order, but am completely addicted to it. _

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_A/N: I absolutely love the idea of this pairing, and after last night's episode, well, pretty much all of season 20's episodes, I couldn't help but write down a fic about them. This is what I do to pass time at my brother's hockey practice ..._

_Anyways, I hope you like it. Takes place right after "For the Defense". _

_Hope you like it!_

_As always, please read and review, I live for feedback!_

* * *

Connie glanced at her boss - E.A.D.A Michael Cutter - over the top of the file she was supposed to be looking at, remember what the former-A.D.A-turned-serial-killer had said to her. That she was hurting Mike, that Mike had realized that she was available.

But she wasn't. Well, she was in the sense that she wasn't currently in a relationship with anyone, and she currently spent the majority of her time either at the DA's office, or taking in a meal/drink with Mike so that they could recharge and get back to work at the DA's office.

However, she didn't date co-workers - especially her boss. It was a lesson she'd learned the hard way, one Mike was now fully aware of. She didn't date co-workers, but as she spent most of her time at work, or with people she worked with, she didn't date other people either. She and Mike had created a kind of surrogate relationship, one she suspected they both found comfort and security in.

And now, with their new caseload, they were virtually spending all of their working hours with each other.

"Do I have something on my face, Connie?" Mike asked her, pulling her roughly out of her thoughts.

"What?"

He had that trademark, half-grin on his face, and she realized that she'd been caught staring. "You've been watching me for the last ten minutes," he calmly stated.

She told herself that she wasn't blushing, that it was just really hot in the office.

"Sorry. I just got a little lost on my thoughts," she explained.

He nodded in understanding, checking his watch. "Jeez, it's almost 11:30. We should call it a night, start fresh in the morning," Mike suggested.

She nodded, grateful for the reprieve.

They set the files aside for tomorrow, knowing they'd have a clearer mindset then.

Connie grabbed her coat and purse, pleasantly surprised to see that Mike had waited for her. They walked out of the building side-by-side, feeling their shoulders and hands brush against each other occasionally.

She cursed herself for her stupid crush. Mike Cutter was a brilliant man, but he was not Jack McCoy - something he made a point of telling her at every opportunity. He wasn't about to sleep with his "assistant", even though he treated her like she was so much more than that. He worried about her a lot more than a boss should worry about his second-in-command. The feeling was mutual. While she admired his ruthlessness and cunning ability in the courtroom to perfectly manipulate both the jurors, as well as whomever was on the stand, she was more than slightly concerned that one of these days it would come back to bite him in the ass, and he would get seriously hurt.

"Connie?" she heard him say.

She turned her head to face him, noticing how close they were. "Sorry?"

He chuckled a bit. "Lost in your thoughts, again?"

She smiled sheepishly. "It's becoming a habit. Did you say something?"

His mouth parted a little as he paused, the way he always did when he was searching for the right words. She felt a strange tickle at the back of her neck in response.

"I was just wondering if you wanted to come over for a bit. There's something that I wanted to talk to you about ... outside of the office."

_Oh_, she thought. _So, we're having _that_ talk. _She figured it had to happen sooner ot later if they were going to be able to work together effectively. So, she nodded after a brief moment. "Sure."

* * *

Connie Rubirosa would swear to anyone who dared ask that she had gone to Mike Cutter's apartment that night with the sole purpose of salvaging their working relationship.

She had in no way intended to snag her heel on the elevator as they made their way out to walk to his door. She had certainly not intended for him to catch her as she stumbled, leaving her pressed too comfortably against his firm body. Her heart had definitely _not_ skipped a beat when she realized just how firm he really was.

Connie Rubirosa would swear on her deathbed that she had in no way encouraged him when he'd leaned in to press his lips against hers, testing the waters. She had certainly not thrown caution to the wind - and the rules - and let him back her down the hallway to his apartment, enjoying the feeling of being pressed between two hard objects - the door and his body - while he shoved the key into the lock. She meant, of course, that she _hadn't_ enjoyed the feeling ... not in the least.

She had definitely not meant to shuck her coat and heels the moment they got through the door, or flare her eyes with arousal when he swiftly removed his coat and suit jacket together as one and tugged on his tie.

If anyone other than Mike Cutter asked her to describe what had happened next, she would have told them nothing, because hadn't they been listening? Nothing had happened in the first place.

If Mike had asked her to replay the evening, she would have told him how she'd gotten butterflies in her stomach when he'd pulled her back to him to kiss her properly and fully. How she'd had to work hard not to trip over herself as he led them to his bedroom and tentatively slid up the sides of her shirt. She would have told him how she'd felt shivers run up and down her spin as she raised her arms above her head to assist him in removing the unnecessary barrier. She would have told him how unbelievably sexy he was when he removed his belt with one hand while simultaneously bringing his other hand to the back of her neck to tangle in her hair and bring her in for another kiss.

The rules had been thrown out the window the second she'd agreed to come over to his place, and neither one of them cared as they came together more than once throughout the night, and he proved her that age hardly mattered.

* * *

When she woke up the next morning, the first thing that she noticed was that she hadn't slept that well in ages.

The second thing she noticed was a soft snoring behind her, and the feeling of a decidedly masculine arm draped across her hip over the sheet loosely covering the two bodies.

The night came rushing back to her, and she slowly turned around on the bed, trying to make as little noise and movement as possible.

Mike Cutter was sleeping peacefully beside her, looking nothing like the harsh executive A.D.A that she knew him to be. He looked like Mike Cutter, the man that she'd spent the most amazing night with.

Unfortunately, the reality that she had just slept with her boss - and friend - settled in, and she decided a quick exit was probably best.

She tried to shimmy out from underneath his arm, but she'd barely made it to the side of the bed when his grip tightened on her.

"Where do you think you're going?" he asked her sleepily, his eyes still closed.

She smiled softly at the tone before adjusting the sheet on her naked body. "Mike ..." she glanced at the clock on his bedside table. "We have to be at the office in a couple of hours, and I need to go home and change and shower."

He blinked his eyes open, glancing up at her. He turned over onto his back, and she forced her eyes not to ogle at his discretely muscled chest. "Okay. 'Cause I thought you were trying to escape the awkwardness of having to discuss what happened with us last night ... twice."

She almost blushed at the memory.

He held back his own grin, linking his hands behind his head. "It's okay if you don't want to talk about it, Connie. It probably shouldn't have happened. We work together, and ... it was probably a mistake."

She nodded. "Probably."

He looked over at her. "Just so we're clear, this isn't why I asked you over here last night. Well, I mean, it kind of was, I wanted to talk about what was going on with us. But I never meant to ... it just happened."

She nodded. "Yeah ... maybe the first time." She met his eyes. "But the second time ... we can't exactly say we were caught up in the heat of it all. 'Cause - not that it wasn't great ... amazing - it was more, I don't know ... meaningful?"

He nodded, shifting on the bed. "Yeah."

"Yeah," she replied, sinking back against the headboard.

He pursed his lips together before slowly bringing his left hand from behind his head, drawing their fingers together.

She smiled at the action, glancing down at him. "We can figure it out later."

Mike brought her hand up to his face, kissing her hand lightly before dropping their linked hands onto his chest. "Later."

She leaned over, drawing him in for a deep kiss before his alarm reminded her that she had to book it over to her apartment if she wasn't going to be late. Though at the moment, she didn't much care, so long as she never had to stop kissing her boss.

* * *

_The end. _

_Hope you guys liked it. It seemed a little mushy at the end, but hopefully it works. _

_I can't wait for the next episode of Law and Order, it's such an amazing show. _

_Reviews are appreciated, positive or negative. _

_Until next time ...! _


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